Day 7 - Montreal

Day 7 - July 20

I woke up very early this morning - 6am - as I hoped to get in alot of miles today, at least
more than what I had been doing on average this trip.

I loaded up the bike, and as I did so, I noticed the windshield was leaning precariously to
the left.  Looking closer, I noticed the rubber grommet was missing, as well as the left
screw which helps to hold the windshield in place!  I cursed out loud - this meant the
windshield was effectively useless, and that I would have to remove it and be without. 
This setback, combined with the fatigue I was feeling, made me feel very angry and stressed.

I angrily cursed the rough Montreal streets, blaming them for my problem.

I then took a minute to collect myself and gave the problem some thought.  I had a thought.
Perhaps duct tape could lend a solution.

I plugged the plastic piece that the screw would go into with balls of duct tape.  I then
taped the same plastic piece onto each side of the windshield.

After finishing the tape job, I wiggled the windshield.  It seemed fairly solid!  It looked
like it might hold up!

Moments later a fellow pulled up next to me in a car.  He asked if I could move my bike so
he could fit into the parking spot.  After he parked his car, we got talking for a few
minutes.

Christopher and I got talking about the bad roads in Montreal.  He said that he felt the
roads in Montreal were the worst in the country.  I had heard this same claim before, and
given what happened to the windshield, I had to agree.  The streets here are in worse shape
than Regina's!

I told Christopher about my bike trip, and this got him excited.  He said he wants to get a
bike one day, but there competing priorities for him these days.  Isn't that the truth - we
always have alot on the go, and there's always so much more we want to do - and right now
for that matter. 

Many times during the trip I gave this problem some thought.  I sometimes find myself in
this boat where I have a hundred things on the go and am wanting to do a hundred more at
the same time.  Sometimes I think that alot of things I have on the go aren't really that
necessary for me to be doing right now, that some of these things can wait until another
time. And more importantly, when I don't find the time to do everything I want, I sometimes
get down on myself.  It's like I sometimes measure who I am based on how much I do, rather
than what.

Well after talking to Christopher, I found myself feeling alot less stressed.  I decided
that since I was here in Montreal, I really should take the time to visit it.  Rather than
killing myself trying to get to Halifax, I would unplug and spend a bit of time here.

After a quick breakfast at McDonald's where I had practiced ordering my food in French (which I managed to pull off!) I walked through the downtown streets. 

The streets were busy with activity, people out walking and cars driving.  I made my way
down Rue St Catherine.  This street is similiar to the Scarth Street mall in Regina, only
several blocks longer.

Rue St Caterine is a beautiful street lined with little outdoor cafes and small businesses.
Although it had alot of people activity, this didn't feel overwhelming and the pace did not
feel rushed to me.  People came and went very quietly.

I came upon a gentleman who approached me speaking in French.  I told him in French that I
only spoke a little of his language, however I don't think he understood and he continued
on.  After a minute of speaking to me, he finally realized I did not understand, and he
apologized to me in French.  He then held out his hand and shook mine very warmly, saying
"Au revoir monsieur".  Even though little was understood in words between us, his good bye
to me made me feel like we had made a human connection.

I then made my way over to Old Montreal.

Old Montreal has a very European feel to it.  The streets are cobblestone, and the old
buildings are lined with tiny independent shops (little to no chain stores exist here),
giving it a very European feel.

After spending a few hours walking around Old Montreal and the waterfront, I felt very at
ease and satisfied with my visit.  I made my way back to the hostel.  I left Montreal at
2pm.  It was time to get my Anglophone ass on the road!

The Trans Canada highway from Montreal to Quebec was heavy with traffic. One of the things
I liked about this stretch of road was that, unlike most of Ontario, it was twinned.
I contined on past Quebec city toward the Quebec-New Brunswich border. The landscape was
changing.  There were beautiful farms far off on either side of the rode, with large hills
of green towering over them.

I came upon a gas station just outside of the town of Riviere-du-Loup (french for Wolf
River). It had a small hotel in it.  I could have stayed at a campground down the road, but
felt like having a warm bed tonight, so I made the decision to stay here.  Besides, not
camping meant I would have less to pack up in the morning, and I was bound and determined
that I would make it all the way to Halifax the next day.